Machuca, Jorge (1953 – )

Good-natured Jorge Machuca of Puerto Rico first came to the attention of the surfing world in 1967 at the age of 14 when he finished runner-up in the Puerto Rico International, behind reigning U.S. champion Corky Carroll, but ahead of American surf heroes like Rusty Miller, Claude Codgen, Gary Propper, and Dewey Weber.

Machuca (born Jorge Figueroa, 1953) began surfing at age 12, at Pine Grove Beach in San Juan, after seeing Beach Party at his local movie theater. Too poor to buy his own equi...